€150,000 top-up for hospital chiefs

Almost €150,000 in cancer charity donations has instead been given to senior hospital chiefs already receiving six-figure publicly-funded salaries.

The latest top-ups scandal is detailed in files provided to the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee, which show the situation occurred at St Luke’s cancer hospital in Dublin for close to a decade.

Between 2003 and 2010, two former chief executives — Lorcan Birthistle (2003 to 2006) and Ann Broekhoven (2007 to 2010) — were given extra payments out of a charity donations pot.

For five of the eight years, the relevant hospital chief executive — who received €114,111 a year in addition to a €4,000 travel allowance — was also chief executive of the charity which ratified the secret payments.

The HSE has repeatedly raised concerns about this practice in other facilities.

The hidden cancer service payouts, which totalled €41,600 and €100,000 respectively, came from the St Luke’s Institute for Cancer Research and related to what the group said was research and board work.

Documents obtained by irishhealth.com state the Department of Health was unaware of the issue until 2010.

When informed by the Comptroller and Auditor General about what was happening, it refused to approve the top-up fees.

The cancer charity said it agreed to pay a yearly allowance to the chief executives in return for services rendered.

This unofficial policy ended in 2010, when St Luke’s moved from being a voluntary hospital to one run by the HSE.

Latest company accounts for St Luke’s Hospital, from 2009, show that, as approved by the hospital’s board, the chief executive’s work with the charity led to a non-pensionable remuneration from the research wing to cover costs.

Company accounts for the St Luke’s Institute for Cancer Research confirm the group is funded entirely by charitable donations, with its work focusing on promoting radiation therapy research and assisting in the training of younger cancer researchers.

These funds in turn come from the St Luke’s Cancer Research Fund, the Friends of St Luke’s organisation, and other charitable bodies.

No top-ups have come from any of the groups involved since 2010.

Ms Broekhoven left St Luke’s for a position in Britain in 2010.

Crumlin is now seeking for Mr Birthistle’s salary to be increased.